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WBLS
107.5-2 FM simulcast of WLIB (HD Radio)| airdate = July 1951 | format = Urban Adult Contemporary | erp = 4,200 watts | haat = 415 meters | class = B | facility_id = 28203| callsign_meaning =| former_callsigns = WEVD-FM (1951-1955) WLIB-FM (1965-1972)| owner = YMF Media LLC| licensee = YMF Media New York Licensee LLC| sister_stations = WLIB| webcast = Streaming webcast | website = wbls.com | }} WBLS (107.5 MHz.) is an urban adult contemporary FM radio station in New York City. WBLS is owned by YMF Media LLC, along with sister station WLIB (1190 AM). The two stations share studios in the West Village section of Manhattan, and WBLS' transmitting antenna is located on the Empire State Building. YMF Media is owned jointly by investor Ronald Burkle and Magic Johnson. The firm assumed control of WBLS and WLIB's former parent company, Inner City Broadcasting Corporation, on October 19, 2012 at a purchase price of $180 million. History The 107.5 frequency in New York City signed on in July 1951 as WEVD-FM, simulcasting its sister station at 1330 AM. Within a few years, WEVD-FM moved to 97.9, and 107.5 went silent. Several years later the New Broadcasting Company, then-owners of WLIB, was awarded a construction permit for the dormant frequency and on September 15, 1965 reactivated 107.5 as WLIB-FM. As the Federal Communications Commission recently instituted a rule prohibiting full-time AM/FM simulcasting in large markets, WLIB-FM was programmed with a jazz music format. The stations were split up in 1972, when Inner City Broadcasting purchased WLIB (AM); WLIB-FM was then renamed WBLS."For the Record." Broadcasting, May 8, 1972, pg. 72. http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-IDX/72-OCR/1972-05-08-BC-0070.pdf Inner City reunited the pair with its purchase of WBLS in 1974.[http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-IDX/74-OCR/1974-07-29-BC-0021.pdf "Changing Hands." Broadcasting, July 29, 1974, pg. 21][http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-IDX/74-OCR/1974-10-21-BC-0009.pdf "In Brief." Broadcasting, October 21, 1974, pg. 9] In the interim period prior to the Inner City takeover, WBLS continued as a jazz station. The format later included rhythm and blues, soul music and vocalese (poetry and prose, such as Nikki Giovanni and the Last Poets). This format was called "The Total Black Experience in Sound." The formate evolved into the urban contemporary format. In 1993, Calvin O. Butts III, pastor of Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, led a threat to boycott the station if they played any form of gangsta rap. Butts' protests culminated in his bulldozing a pile of hip-hop recordings during a rally. In response to the protests, WBLS excised most hip hop music from its air and carefully screened what it did play for content and language. In 1995, after WRKS was purchased by Emmis Communications and dropped all hip-hop music in favor of a similar adult R&B format, WBLS countered with a controversial advertising campaign labeling WRKS as a "plantation station." WBLS shortly reverted to urban contemporary, only to exit again in 2004 when WBLS switched to urban adult contemporary. In 1985, it was sold to Infinity Broadcasting and became rock-formatted WXRK. In 1986, Emmis Communications converted rock-formatted WAPP (103.5 FM) into WQHT (now at 97.1 FM). WBLS acquired WRKS's intellectual property in a merger of the two outlets announced on April 26, with a joint statement on both stations' respective websites. In addition to acquiring WRKS's intellectual property, WBLS and WLIB also moved into Emmis's New York production facility in the West Village section of Manhattan, into studio space vacated by WRKS during the week of May 21, 2012. During the 2012-13 NBA season, WBLS broadcast selected New York Knicks games in an agreement with WEPN-FM. These games conflicted with WEPN-FM's coverage of the NFL's New York Jets when both teams were scheduled to play on Sunday afternoons. Notable personalities WBLS is currently the flagship station of The Steve Harvey Morning Show. Other current WBLS personalities include Donnie McClurkin, Jeffrey Foxx, Shalia, Lenny Green, Felix Hernandez, DJ Scratch of EPMD, Imhotep Gary Byrd, Kevin Hodge, Earthquake and Deja Vu with "The WBLS' Quake's House Afternoon Show", Dahved Levy, Angelique Perrin, Loni Love, MC Lyte, Louis Vega, Doug E. Fresh, DJ Bent Roc, Bishop Hezekiah Walker, Liz Black, Eddie Love, Al Sharpton, Freddy Buggs, DJ Antoine Qua, Clay Berry, DJ Kut, Brown Hornit, Chubb Rock, Bob Lee, Bob Slade, and DJ Marley Marl. During the early 1970s to the early 1980s, Frankie Crocker was WBLS' program director and afternoon disc jockey, and is credited with defining what became the station's signature Urban Contemporary sound. Crocker served three stints at WBLS during his career. WBLS was also the longtime home of Hal Jackson, co-founder of former parent company Inner City Broadcasting. Jackson hosted the station's Sunday Classics program weekly until just before his death on May 23 of 2012. Other notable personalities who have appeared on WBLS include: Vy Higgensen, Kenny "Spider" Webb, G. Keith Alexander, Chuck Leonard, Wendy Williams, Vaughan Harper, Champagne, Yvonne Mobley, Carlos DeJesus, Doug Banks, Paul Mooney, Egypt, DJ Pete Rock, DJ Premier, with future WWPR-FM's Breakfast Club host and MTV2's Guy Code/MTV's Girl Code cast member Charlamagne Tha God, and Johnny "Mr. Magic" Rivas. The current voice of the station is Pat Garrett. References 8.U2 Angel in Harlem....On BLS I heard the sound of an angel External links *WBLS Website * Category:Urban adult contemporary radio stations BLS